Hanging On
by i luv niki4444
Summary: Years after the Final Battle, Kagome is back in the present and ready for action. However, her mother finds her new found training obsession to be unhealthy and sends her off to live with her childhood best friend, Manta Oyamada. But the Shaman Tournament is coming to Tokyo and with it comes hope for something... more.


**Authors Note:** Heyya! xD Look at it! Look at it! IT'S BBBEEEEEAAAAAAAUUUUTTTTIIIIIIIFFFFFFUUUULLL!

Okay, so I've FINALLY got this first chapter out-! *squeals* Holy cow I'm so happy! o_O I just... ASDFGHJKL;!

Anyway, just so you know, this first chapter is basically a **Prologue**. It's here to explain how Kagome came across her spirits, how she gained the powers she'll have (though I won't tell you what those are in this first chapter. ;P), and how she and her spirits feel about each other. So basically, this just sets up the story so you aren't confused. xD The next chapter is when the fun starts! ;P

**Hanging on Takes Place:** Once Kagome goes back to the present she'll be twelve (but about to turn thirteen). The start of Shaman King is when Yoh Asakura is thirteen and since they'll be about the same age... It unofficially starts at the beginning of Shaman King. However, there's a two year time skip directly after she returns from the well. According to every information website I've found Yoh heads off to the second round when he's 16.

Going on that, I'm just going to take a leap and say that Hanging On will finally stop time lapsing just before the Destiny Star is sighted (In this fic, that's when Yoh will be 15, Kagome 14) Or around Manga: Volume Four; Chapter 26: The Star that Signals the Beginning.

Anime: Episode 12 English dub. (Not sure if English sub has the same amount of episodes or runs by the same guide as the dub... I need to see the sub. o_O)

**Finally, the most important Author's Note:** Most importantly if whether or not this follows the Anime or the Manga. Shaman King is the first Manga I've actually read and I found that I enjoyed it a LOT more than the anime, which just left me... feeling like something was missing. (No offense people who like the anime more! o_O I loved it too before I read the manga!) Anyway, there are a few things that I quite liked about the anime that were NOT in the manga that will be added in, but this story will mostly follow the **manga**.

Hanging On Chapter 1:

Summary: Years after the Final Battle, Kagome is back in the present and ready for action. However, her mother finds her new found training obsession to be unhealthy and sends her off to live with her childhood best friend, Manta Oyamada. But the Shaman Tournament is coming to Tokyo and with it comes hope for something... more.

"..." Talking

'...' Thinking (In past)

_'...' _Thinking (In Present Time)

**'...'**Mind Reading

_**'...'**_Currently Unknown

**_Hanging On_**

_i luv niki4444_

**Prologue: Driven Mad**

* * *

**_"Chicchee na."_**

_Those words and that expression… they would stay with her forever._

_Because it was true._

_She was 'so tiny'._

_So pathetic…_

_Tears gathered in Kagome's eyes and her fist clenched tightly. "Why couldn't I have been stronger?"_

_She had gotten a lot stronger over the year that she'd been in the Feudal Era. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were always praising her on her accomplishments with her powers…_

**Was it a lie?**

_Were all those "Good Job!" 's and "Wow Kagome!" 's fake?_

'No.' _She thought. _'They were real.'

_But even as she got stronger so did their enemies. She had always been five steps behind the others, who could take out their enemies easily._

_Perhaps is she had trained five times as hard to catch up to them… her friends wouldn't be dead._

**_'Chicchee na.'_**

_"Shut up." Kagome hissed, her fist seeking out a tree at random to put wrath upon._

_That voice inside her head laughed, __**'Chicchee na!'**_

**_'Chicchee na!'_**

_She hit the tree a few more times, ignoring the pain it brought to her knuckles. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"_

**_'Chicchee na! Chicche-'_**

_A hand grabbed her own as she was about to strike the tree again and the voice quieted._

_Now another voice came to her, one of anger and pain. _**'STUPID GIRL DESTROYING THE FOREST OF OUR DEITY! SHE'LL BE PUNISHED GREATLY FOR THIS!'**

_"I'm sorry. I didn't think about of the forest… or what it may have meant to the people here." Kagome whispered, twisting around to see the man behind her._

_His mouth paused half in the making of scolding her. He stared at her with wide eyes, "…Inari_ _Ōkami…"_

_Kagome froze hearing the name of the deity and she watched the man blankly. "…Huh?"_

_"My goddess.." He whispered, his head bowing. "She has blessed you…"_

_Kagome waved her hands around, already feeling terrible about the mix up involved with the deeply religious man. "No no! It's not-"_

_"Yeah it's not like that old man! Beat it!" A snide voice called out and a boy no older than twelve came out of nowhere and attempted to kick the guy. Kagome blanched when his leg went right through him. "Ohhhh Nards! I forgot I can't kick ass!"_

_"Calm down Raiden!" A very exasperated girl of around 14 sounded out. "Don't be a gaki!"_

_"I'M NO GAKI CHIYO! YOU'RE THE GAKI!"_

_Kagome was once again taken by surprise when the man took her by the hand and started dragging her in what she could only assume was the direction of where he lived. It was like he couldn't even see the two arguing children in front of him._

_The girl whom had appeared after the boy was dressed in a Chinese style dress colored blue and black…and she was very loud._

_The mixture of their clothing and voices made it impossible to miss them._

'So why doesn't he see them?'

The_ girl, Chiyo if she remembered correctly, seemed to have noticed that Kagome wasn't ignoring them and she grinned. "Tell him to unhand you and leave. The goddess says he's not welcome!"_

_Kagome coughed, not sure if she wanted to impersonate someone who could talk to a deity but repeated the words anyway figuring it was her quickest way out of the situation._

_And indeed she was correct!_

_Like her hand had caught fire, he released her and began to back out of the forest his head wildly searching for that one goddess in particular. When he found none he took off running._

_The boy –Raiden?- started laughing. "L-Look at him go Chiyo!"_

_"Shut it troll." She snapped back, rubbing her temples and muttering about having to deal with 'the ogre'._

_"Oi!" A high-pitched voice called out. "Chiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyo-__**cccchhhhhhhaaaaaaaaannnnnnn**__! Why did you leave me and Yuki-kun all alone?"_

_Kagome turned to see the one who had spoken and wasn't exactly surprised to see a little girl who couldn't have been more than nine giving off a less than satisfied aura as her reddish-brown eyes bore into the older girl. She wore a green and white kimono that fit nicely with her whitish blond hair._

_Behind her stood a boy about the same age as, 'Chiyo'. He had the same white blond hair as the little girl, but had green eyes. His outfit seemed perfectly picked out to be a reverse of the the little girl's, his being mostly white. _

_Looking back at the other two, she fully took them in for the first time._

_Chiyo has very petite, only reaching about 4"11' despite being about 15. Her hair was a dark reddish-brown, straight, and tied into and half up half down hairdo which involved pigtails. Plus, she had turquoise eyes that went well with the blue detail on her black Chinese style dress._

_Raiden had black hair that appeared dark purple in certain lights, and silver eyes. He would have been quite cute… if he didn't have that sneer on his face. _'He looks like Inuyasha when his face is all scrunched up like that.' _He even wore something that resembled the robe of the fire rat._

_Kagome did a double take and her eyes widened, _'T-That is a-'

_"What do you think you're looking at!" Raiden spit out, his fists clenched and he glared at her. "Are you trying to pick a fight?!"_

_"Watch it Raiz." The blond lad called out as he approached them, leaning down to ruffle the other boy's hair as he took his place beside Chiyo. "She might bite."_

_Kagome blushed, but sent him a scathing look. "I do NOT bite."_

_He gave her a once over. "…You sure?"_

_Kagome thought back on the numerous times she'd had to bite to get away from her kidnappers. "…Yes."_

_A smirk edged onto his lips. "Honestly?"_

_She huffed and her no lying policy took over against her will. "Only when I'm in danger! I'd never bite a little boy!"_

_His eye twinkled and he winked at her, "I should hope not."_

_"Stop that, Yuki." Chiyo snapped, casting him a scowl. Turning back to Kagome, she cleared her throat. "I apologize for… them." She waved a hand at all three of her companions, whom all looked ready to protest. "I didn't get your name."_

_"Kagome Higurashi." Was her reply, "And you are…" Although she knew their names –excluding the younger of the two girls- she figured it'd be more polite to let them introduce themselves._

_Chiyo smiled at her warily, "I'm Chiyo. That's Raiden, Yuki, and Emi." She gestured to each as she said their names._

_"It's nice to meet you!" Kagome chirped, unconsciously smiling at the youngest of the group._

_Little Emi beamed at her. "Chiyo-chan! Can we be friends with Kagome-san?!"_

_Chiyo turned to smile at her and tap her nose. "First, I need to speak with Kagome alone. Kay?"_

_Emi nodded frantically, grabbing Yuki's hand and pulling him away._

_Raiden simply stood there, "So we gonna interrogate her or what?" He finally replied gruffly after waiting for them to speak for a few minutes._

_Chiyo rubbed her temples, "Go."_

_His eyes widened, before going back to normal and Raiden scoffed, "Whatever." With a huff, he turned on his heel and followed the other two._

_When he'd gotten what she'd deemed, 'far enough' Chiyo turned back to once again eye Kagome wearily. "…So you're a Shaman?"_

_"Shaman?"_

_"Yeah, like... a shaman, shaman."_

_"Oh..." She cleared her throat, "They don't exist."_

_"Yes they do." Chiyo cracked a smile._

_Kagome frowned, "Nah Uh."_

_"Uh HUH."_

_"... Really? Are you sure?"_

_"Positive."_

_"Oh."_

_"...So you're a shaman?"_

_Kagome blanched, unsure of how to react to the question asked again. It was pretty obvious wasn't it? "Um… no- I mean I'm a miko."_

_Chiyo seemed to find that statement amusing. "…A miko is a TYPE of Shaman."_

_"It is? I thought a Shaman was just a Shaman…" Kagome muttered, her brow furrowing. _'I also didn't believe they were real.'

_Chiyo nodded, "There is 9 different types. They're all Shaman and they have the same basic abilities… but there's like an added bonus or something from someone of each type."_

_Kagome frowned becoming lost in her own thoughts for a few moments, before she finally asked the question she wanted to the most. "…Do you know where I can find a Shaman who'll train me?"_

_"Of course."_

* * *

_"So can she be fixed or can't she?" Raiden burst out._

_They'd been traveling for two weeks before finding this 'Shaman friend' of Chiyo's. In that time, it had become quite obvious that Kagome could read people's minds and emotions –mostly because she kept answering people before they asked-. Chiyo had suggested that perhaps Akina-sensei would know how to solve that problem._

_And so they'd asked not five minutes after greeting the older woman._

_Akina rubbed her temples. "It's not a matter of whether or not she can simply be FIXED. Of course there are measures that can be taken to prevent Miss Kagome's readings but most of them end with a 90% chance of death or her turning into a vegetable."_

_Emi huffed, "Meaning there IS something you can do. 'Cause you said 'MOST'."_

_Akina shook her head sadly, "There is one way to do it, however it is not nearly as effective as the rest."_

_"And that is...?" Chiyo asked impatiently, her foot starting to thump on the ground as she got more nervous._

_"…" Akina cleared her throat, "How loud are the voices?" She asked, turning her attention to the one the spell would be cast for._

_Kagome winced, "They scream at me."_

_"Always?"_

_"Yes."_

_Akina sighed, "The more susceptible you are to another's emotions the louder the thoughts and feelings are. You seem to have a strong soul, but you're being eaten away slowly. Like__** he**__ was." Rubbing her temples once again, she groaned. "Alright I'll help you."_

_"YAY~!" Emi squealed, attacking her with a hug. "When are ya gonna do it?!" Over the past two weeks she'd become very close to Kagome and she didn't want to wait long._

_"First, I have one condition." Akina huffed, her jaw jutting out softly. "Miss Kagome must become my pupil and study under me for at least three years."_

_"Yes."_

_"Then we have a deal. I'll start making your bracelet."_

* * *

_"What does this do?" Kagome frowned, holding the silver bracelet. It was paper-thin and held five charms._

_"The charms will serve as resting places for your Guardians. The bracelet itself will keep you from hearing the thoughts of everyone around you…"_

_"What's the catch?" Raiden burst out, giving her a small glare._

_Chiyo halfheartedly hit him on the head. "Raiden! Akina almost died making that, I think that WAS the catch."_

_Akina nodded briefly in her directions. "One of the downsides of this method is that the maker could be killed or driven insane. However, I'd much rather have me lose my mind than Miss Kagome." She gently reached out and closed Kagome's fingers around the bracelet sitting so innocently in her palm. "You have great furyoku, but you do not understand how to use it. Until you do, I'm afraid the only one of your guardian ghosts you'll be able to connect with is Emi."_

_Kagome's brow wrinkled and she frowned, she didn't like Akina implying that they belonged to her in any way. "Guardian Ghosts? They're my friends not my body guards!"_

_Chiyo chuckled, "Calm down Kagome." She placed a comforting hand on the other girl's shoulder. "Every Shaman must have a guardian ghost and although we hadn't officially stated it… I just thought it was obvious we were yours."_

_Kagome's frown deepened and her eyes grew determined, "If you belong to me then I belong to you too right? We're bonded."_

_"It doesn't work like-"_

_"It does for us."_

_Akina cleared her throat. "Can we move on?"_

_Emi grinned hugging Kagome's legs. "OF COURSE! Tell us all the grimy details, Akina-sama!"_

_Kagome reached over and ruffled her hair causing her to giggle and latch onto her waist._

_Akina shook her head with a faint smile._

**_'Whispers… pain…death…life…'_**

_"She'll still hear the thoughts of others, they'll just be faint. She should be able to easily block them out." Akina started and Chiyo clamped a hand over Raiden's mouth before he could say something stupid. "However…" Akina's eyebrows furrowed. "This way may be far worse than what you already have to experience."_

_"Why?" Yuki rubbed his temples, he preferred to just silently observe, but all this dodging and sidetracking was getting on his nerves._

_"Touch."_

_Kagome blanched, "Touch?"_

_Akina nodded, "If any part of your skin touches another you'll see their past, present, and future. You'll experience everything they've ever felt… and ever will feel. However, factoring in your unique skills and spirits I've estimated that for every second that you remain in contact with that person you'll gain their abilities for a minute. If you learn how to use that skill properly, you'll be able to lend your abilities to the one you're touching."_

_Raiden grinned, "THAT'S SO COOL!"_

_"It's not cool, Raiden! It's dangerous." Chiyo frowned and tapped her chin. "How will she be able to avoid contact with other people?"_

_"She won't. The ability will undoubtedly cause her a lot of pain… but if she learns to be careful of her skin she shouldn't have any problems."_

_"Relax Chiyo!" Kagome said soothingly and placed a hand on the other girl's arm. "I can just take it off."_

_"No." Akina stated gravely and Kagome frowned turning to look at her. "If you put this on its effects will never wear off… not even in the afterlife. Moreover, if you even lose contact with the bracelet for even a minute you may be driven insane." _

_Emi's nose scrunched up and she held Kagome tighter. "That's stupid. Why?"_

_Akina heaved out a sigh. "It's the way of the bracelet. The people she's touched –throughout her entire life, not just the time she's had the bracelet on-. She'll sees everything, feel everything, all at the same time... and it'll be on replay until she touches the bracelet again."_

_No one had a reply to that._

_Kagome took a deep breath and slipped the braclet onto her wrist, watching as it glowed blue, then red, and finally purple._

_"I guess it's too late to look back now right?"_

* * *

_Akina paced back and forth in a clearing not far from her cottage "Alright." She started sternly, turning to watch her student and the spirits that had become her guardian ghosts. "You already know about Guardian Ghosts so know we'll move on Furyoku._

_"Essential to even the most basic shaman magic, Furyoku, or Shamanic Power, is the measure of the sixth sense that an organism is born with. Generally a product of willpower, furyoku can be generated either naturally or artificially. Furyoku's consistency is contingent upon the being's conviction. Every living thing (plants, animals, and human beings) is given a measure of Furyoku by the Great Spirit prior to birth to live out their lives, and upon their death, that power returns to the planet. During an organism's lifetime, their cumulative experiences form memories, which upon death return to the planet along with their Furyoku. These memories in turn give rise to more Furyoku, allowing the planet's spirit as a whole to grow, and the cycle of life to continue._

_While predetermined upon birth Furyoku can be increased, However, like the five basic senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste), Furyoku is an inborn power that cannot be improved merely through physical training. The process for increasing a shaman's Furyoku usually involves a "pseudo-death" experience. Ventures such as these usually involve the shaman being stripped of their physical senses, leaving bare their sixth sense. Throughout the ordeal, the shaman must contend with the onslaught of negative emotion from their own being, relying only their strength of heart sustain them. After such an ordeal, the shaman's soul would be strengthened, if not broken to a degree that the shaman may never recover._

_An alternative method of increasing Furyoku is actual, physical death and near-death. Whenever a shaman is mortally wounded and subsequently revived, their Furyoku increases dramatically."_

_Akina paused to take a sip of water and frowned when she noticed that Kagome wasn't writing anything down._

_"…Miss Kagome you're supposed to take notes."_

_Blushing Kagome hurriedly asked her to repeat what she'd said. Akina made sure to tell her slowly so she wouldn't have an excuse for not writing it all down. Kagome set the utensil down when she was done._

_"… Next the different types of Shaman."_

_Kagome nodded, picking up the quill pen, dipping it in ink, and being careful not to blotch it on the scroll._

_" There are 9 types of Shaman. The first is just a regular Shaman._

_"A Shaman is able see and connect with the spiritual world to accomplish things they couldn't otherwise do. All the Shaman types have this basic ability."_

_Kagome scribbled down the words, feeling like she was taking mathematics notes again… she didn't understand most of those things either._

_"Secondly, there is the __**Necromancer**__. A Necromancer uses their Furyoku to animate and control corpses._

_"Next we have __**Yuta**__, they're Shamans who have special healing powers. The more powerful Yutas can revive the dead."_

_Kagome's ears perked up. "…Do you think I could be a Yuta?"_

_Akina nodded and a tiny smile appeared on her face. "If you find the right teacher… I happen to be both a Yuta and a witch."_

_"A witch?"_

_Akina shook her head, "I'm afraid I can't help you there. You haven't the blood for it."_

_"What can you tell me about witches?"_

_Akina pressed a hand firmly against her lips. "It's a secret only other witches are allowed to know." Clearing her throat she continued, "We also have __**Daoshi **__– shamans able to transfer a spirit into its dead body and use talismans to move the animated corpse._

_"__**Shugenja **__are shaman who search for powerful spirits. They're often known for being hermits or ascetics._

_"__**Itako **__are women who can summon spirits from heaven back to earth._

_"__**Onmyoji **__have the power to control the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) and some can divine the future. They're some of the oldest and most powerful shaman."_

_Kagome frowned scratching her head. "What about air?"_

_"… Don't question the scrolls."_

_"Alright, alright!" Kagome waved her hands defensively, but smiled a bit when she saw that Akina wasn't being completely serious._

_"And lastly there are __**Miko**__. Miko are shrine priestesses able to hear divine voices, often involving disasters."_

_Kagome perked up, having never really known what a miko was or what it meant to be one. "Divine voices?"_

_Akina nodded, "Chiyo told me that you were a miko. Have you ever known something bad will happen before it actually does?"_

_Kagome frowned, "Yes." This would certainly explain a few things..._

_"There you go. More powerful miko also have healing abilities and purification powers. Assuming you are one of those miko learning to be a Yuta should be very easy for you… since you already know the basics of how to heal with your furyoku."_

_Kagome nodded and excitement was clear in her eyes. "You said I couldn't be a witch because I didn't have the blood… does that go for any of the other types?"_

_Akina nodded slightly, "Take a miko like yourself for instance, if you don't have the power within you when you're born there's no way to teach it to you. You can't be a witch if you don't have the blood. You can't learn to be any of the others without a proper teacher and a spirit that has abilities that support that type."_

_She took another sip of water. "Before you can learn any of the techniques you'll have to learn the basics. Of course, teaching you to use a sword is also essential."_

_Kagome let out a puff of air, stirring her bangs. "Great."_

_This would be a painful three years._

* * *

**_Three and a Half Years Later_**

* * *

_"HAPPY TWENTY-FIRST BIRTHDAY KAGOME-CHAN!" Little Emi cried, throwing said girl's door open and jumping on her bed to wake her up._

_"Eh? Where's Kagome-chan?" She murmured, once she'd opened her eyes and noticed the lack of screams and flailing arms._

_Tapping her small finger against her chin she quickly got a determined look in her eye. "There's only one thing that could have happened…" Fear took the place of determination, and she ran for the door. "CHIYO-CHAN! YUKI-KUN! RAIZ-KUN! COME QUICK! KAGOME-CHAN'S BEEN KIDNAPPED!"_

* * *

_Kagome hummed to herself as she drew little circles in water of a little river that ran a few miles away from her small cottage. "It's so peaceful here." She murmured, sticking her foot in up to her ankle._

_This was Kagome's favorite place to come… it was also her secret place. Only Chiyo knew of it._

_"I thought I'd find you here."_

'Speak of the devil.' _Kagome turned around a cast a small smile at her closest friend. "Ahhhh, have you come to drag me back?"_

_Chiyo snickered, "More like to escape. Emi's going into a panic looking for you."_

_Kagome swished her feet in the water as Chiyo sat next to her. "Sometimes I wonder if she knows what the words 'alone time' mean."_

_"She doesn't."_

_"Too bad."_

_Chiyo leaned forward to grab at the water. "…I miss being alive."_

_"…I-"_

_Chiyo cut her off with a slight smile, cast in her direction. "You don't have to be sorry. I died two thousand years before you were even born." She sighed looking over at the sun which was only half risen. "If anything I should be thanking you Kagome. When we become one, I am more alive than I've felt since that day. You are truly my miracle."_

_Kagome blushed, fiddling with her hands and her leg reflexively twitched, splashing water onto her clothes. "We're friends right? We do stuff like that for each other."_

_Chiyo snickered quietly, "Friends don't usually let other friends into their bodies."_

_"CHIYO!"_

_"Gomen Gomen! Haha~!" Chiyo waved her hands in front of her as Kagome grabbed a rock and brandished the weapon._

_"You make being a Shaman sound _**weird**_." Kagome muttered still holding the rock._

_"It's not _weird _it's _cool_."_

_"You're just saying that because I let you chop things up."_

_"And you're going to KEEP letting me chop things up. Like, FOREVER. Because I'm- I mean WE'RE your guardian ghosts for life." Chiyo said, nudging the other girl's arm playfully. Her smile wavered for a minute. "…That's still strange."_

_"What?"_

_"That you can touch spirits like they have a solid form. I hadn't been around Shaman's that much before I met you. I'd only met Akina twice... and I'd never tried to touch her." She cleared her throat. "…Akina-sensei said that spirits and humans can only touch if the human wants to allow the spirit to touch him or her. But I've always been able to touch you... will you always do that for me?"_

_"..."_

_Chiyo coughed, blushing slightly. "Why don't we go back. Emi's probably in big trouble for destroying Akina's morning by now."_

* * *

_"…I'll let this slide. But ONLY because it's Kagome's birthday." Akina said with a sigh, rubbing her head._

_Little Emi had come early in the morning screaming about how Kagome had gone 'Missing'. Not only was she woken up, she'd also gotten quite the headache from the encounter._

_Kagome gulped, bowing lightly. "I'm so sorry Akina-sensei! I had no idea Emi would…"_

_"GOMEN-NASAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII AKINA-SAMA!" A sobbing Emi appeared out of nowhere to clutch onto her kimono._

_"It's alright little one." Akina murmured, holding her head from the noise as Kagome gathered her up in her arms whispering words of comfort._

_Chiyo sighed, grabbing Emi away from Akina to hold her in her arms and shush her. "A headache means no noise. Can you do that for us, Emi?"_

_Emi's brown eyes closed and her tearstained face sought the older girl's neck for comfort, nodding slowly back and forth._

_Akina grasped the chair beside her painfully. "I-I'm going to go lie down."_

_With that she hobbled away._

_Kagome frowned, "I wonder what's wrong with Akina-sensei…" Usually headaches didn't effect anything but the way ones head felt._

_Chiyo frowned deeply, "She may not look it… but she's going on her 247th birthday this year. You know she needs to rest often."_

_Kagome gaped at her, "247?! How can she be human and be that old!" Really the woman didn't appear more than 50 and she was almost always eccentric! Kagome had always thought she'd only wanted afternoon naps because she was lazy!_

_"She's a witch."_

_"Right." Kagome rubbed her temples, muttering about how she should have realized that._

* * *

_"…"_

_"I can't believe she's really gone." Yuki finally murmured, breaking the silence._

_Shock was clear in Raiden's eyes as he knelt over Akina's body. "She's already passed on."_

_"A-Akina-sama l-left us?" Emi hiccuped, rubbing at her tears and runny nose. "W-without a good-bye?"_

_They'd left two weeks earlier to exterminate an Oni that was plaguing a village. It had been a four day walk and there were a lot of delays when they'd finally got there._

_And now that they were back..._

_"She had time to leave a note." Chiyo whispered and her throat clenched as she picked up the little piece of parchment._

_Tears ran silently down Kagome's face and she took a step forward. "What does she say?"_

_"Just that she can't hang on any longer. That she wants us to be happy. And…"_

_"And?" Raiden snapped, anger clear in his eyes as he finally got over his shock and reacted in the only way he knew how._

_"She wants us to participate in the Shaman Fights."_

_Yuki frowned, still trying to control the water desperately trying to escape from his eyes. "...She's done nothing but try to keep us away from the fights. She's the reason Kagome didn't partake in the first place!"_

_"It's impossible to join the Shaman Fights half way through." Raiden snarled, "How does she expect us to deal with that kind of request?!"_

_"Kagome's era." Chiyo muttered and her eyes widened. "She wants us to go to Kagome's era."_

_Raiden scoffed, "I thought it was already clear that we couldn't GET to her era."_

_"But Kagome probably can." Yuki replied quietly and he clenched his fist. "If it's Akina's last request… I can wait 500 years."_

_Emi looked up and sniffled. "Me too! I-I can wait too!"_

_"500 years is nothing." Chiyo replied, slightly cheered by the determination of her friends._

_That only left Raiden…_

_…Whom was looking at them like they were insane._

_"You can't be serious?! We're going to… wait 500 years?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG THAT IS?!"_

_Chiyo glared at him, her sadness now completely forgotten. "We've been dead three times that long!"_

_Yuki nodded in agreement, "And we've already pledged to stay by Kagome's side forever."_

_Raiden looked to be in pain as he looked back and forth between them. "Exactly! I-I can't take being separated for that long!"_

_Kagome quickly interfered, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Who knew you were such a sweetheart." She whispered and wrapped her arms around him._

_A light blush on his cheeks, Raiden turned his face away. "… I'm not a… what you said."_

_Chiyo smirked, "Can't say sweetheart?"_

_"MEN DON'T SAY THAT WORD!"_

_"Sure."_

_"Sweetheart." Yuki put in._

_"You're not a real man." Raiden grumbled finally giving into Kagome's hug –sort of- and patting her on the back gingerly._

_Kagome's heart warmed as they continued bickering. _'This is good… I don't think Akina-sensei would have wanted us to mope around. She would have wanted us to continue on.'

_Which may have very well been the reason she wanted them in the Shaman Tournament._

_"Fine. I'll wait for Kagome." Raiden called, pulling away from her and waving his fist at the others._

_Kagome's lips twitched. "I don't think I can ask any of you to-"_

_"You didn't." Raiden scoffed and his chin jutted out stubbornly. "Akina did. Besides, I think it'll be fun to kick some as-"_

_"Don't be a gaki Raiden!" Chiyo suddenly cut in._

_"I'M NOT A GAKI!"_

_"Only Gaki swear needlessly."_

_"It wasn't needlessly! Besides you swear all the time!"_

_"Do as I say, NOT as I do."_

_"UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

_"GAKI!"_

_"YOU'RE THE GAKI!"_

_Kagome sweat dropped, "For their safety I'm not sure if I should leave them alone for 500 years."_

_Yuki snickered, appearing beside her. "Don't worry I'll keep them in line."_

_"Then why aren't you doing that right now?"_

_Yuki paused, watching the fight, before whimpering. "Chiyo is scary." He shivered._

* * *

_Blue eyes opened hazily and she fingered the side of the well. "Did it work?"_

_"Kaa-chan! Kaa-chan! I can't find Kagome ANYWHERE!" Her little brother's voice cried._

_Kagome frowned and stood up inside the well. _'He sounds different.'

_His voice was higher than it should have been… and he hadn't called Mama 'Kaa-chan' in years._

_"Souta! Can you lend me a hand up!" She called when she noticed the latter inside the well was missing._

_"KAA-CHAN KAGOME IS IN THE WELL HOUSE!"_

_"Oh hush Souta." She heard her mother say as she came into the building. "Kagome dear, are you alright?"_

_"I'm fine Mama, but where did the ladder go?"_

_Her mom sighed, "What ladder? There's never been a ladder in there. The well's been shut for years! ...How did you even get it open?" Shaking her head she called, "Father go get a ladder!"_

_Kagome blinked,_ 'Hasn't been opened for years...What's she talking about? Oh right, I haven't come home in three years.'

_"Honestly Kagome, sometimes I don't know what to do with you." Her mother tsked and gently placed the latter down beside her._

_Kagome climbed up and immediately froze._

_Souta was… tiny._

_He couldn't have been more than five!_

_Glancing at her mother she noticed that she looked younger than she had the last time she'd seen her._

_"…"_

_Mrs. Higurashi crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow sternly. "How did you get in?"_

_Kagome simply stared at her, before looking down at her hands. Noticing for the first time that her body was much smaller than it had been previously. Taking off into a run, she went into the house with her mother calling after her._

_She blinked as she stared at herself in the bathroom mirror._

_"I-I'm… 12." She whispered, recognizing this small and undeveloped form from years ago._

_"Kagome." Her mother chided gently, appearing behind her and taking her shoulders in a soft but firm grip. "What's going on?"_

_Kagome continued to stare at her TOO childish face and her big eyes started to water. "M-Mama." Turning around with a small whimper she allowed herself to let go in her mother's embrace, only being careful not to touch her with any exposed skin._

_It had been far too long since she'd had a good cry._

* * *

Kagome hummed as she went through her daily exercises. First with her sword, then whip, and finally her bow.

Tomorrow she'd work with her spear, dagger, and of course her sword once again.

That was her most important weapon.

Kagome sighed when she was finished, pulling her electric blue headphones over her ears, grabbing her little Nano IPod, and gently placing it within the confines of her black track suit.

Now it was time to run… aka search for her spirits.

The plan had been for them to wait in Edo, next to the well. However, it was doubtful that they could stay in one place for so long.

…So knowing them they'd probably started travelling and forgot where Edo was on the map.

Or they didn't expect the expansion and got lost in Tokyo on the way home.

Kagome took off running.

It was like this every day for the past two years she'd been back in her era.

Of course the hardest part was convincing her confused family that she wasn't making up a big lie when she told them why she was so freaked out.

Eventually they had to believe her simply because no one can make up a story with THAT many details without there being at least some truth to it. The only thing she left out was the fact that she was a Shaman… and everything that went with that.

Plus, the whole mind reading thing.

_'I should have been a little more honest with them.'_ But she felt that if she added any more to the tale after her friends died that her mother would break down and her brother would have labeled her his new 'hero'.

...Which he did anyway.

_'My mom has been so strong throughout this, even before she lost her memory. She's always been there...even if she doesn't remember it.'_

And therein lied the problem that was slowly tearing mother and daughter apart. Her mother had essentially lost years that she should remember. She longed to remember being there for her daughter in the hard times that Kagome had gone through. And even though she was, she felt as though she had abandoned her…simply because she couldn't remember it.

Kagome sighed, picking up the pace. After all this looking, she was starting to question whether or not they were even IN Tokyo.

Her school was having a field trip soon… maybe she'd sneak off and check that place while they were there.

"Hey you!"

Kagome frowned when she heard the call, switching off the music and turning around.

She blanched when she saw the young woman whom stood before her. No older than 18 she was dressed in a long black trench coat and jeans. Strawberry blond hair and flashing brown eyes gave her face a sharp look.

"Can I help you?"

Her eyes narrowing, the woman nodded shortly. "…I would like to show you your future."

Kagome blinked owlishly, "Wha?"

Blushing at the apparent lack of… whatever she'd been expecting, the woman nodded, but held her ground. "I want to show you your future!"

"…You're a fortune teller?"

"Pllllllleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaasssssssseeeeeeee!"

Kagome eyes only got larger when the other girl got down on her knees and a waterfall of desperate tears ran down her face. "…Sure?"

"KYA!" She yelled in victory, pumping her fist as she got to her feet. "Come right this way Miss!"

Kagome, still stunned by this… odd scene, simply followed in the direction the girl was leading her.

"Oh, I'm Takuma!"

"Kagome."

"Cool!"

Kagome's head cocked to the side, reminded of Chiyo with the girl's strange way of appearing calm and stern while really being overly excited.

A small ding could be easily heard as they stepped through the doors of the small shop.

"Tarot cards?"

"Yep!" Takuma blushed slightly, "I'm still in practice… but I'm really good!"

Kagome giggled, she didn't really believe in tarots, but there'd be no harm to doing it right?

Takuma gracefully went around the room lighting incense. "OKAY!" She handed the large deck of cards over to Kagome. "Shuffle please."

Kagome awkwardly shuffled the deck and tried to hand it back.

Takuma shook her head, "Close your eyes."

Kagome did as told.

"Now I want you to picture you're a tree. You're roots are growing deeply into the earth. They cut through rock and insects and finally they're at the core. Now think of the question you want to ask."

_'When will I be happy? Can I even be happy?'_ Kagome thought, but tried to keep the connection to nature.

"Cut the cards."

Kagome did.

Takuma smoothly took the deck and laid down the card face down.

"Pick a card and lay it down on the table face up."

Kagome looked at all the card and finally decided on the 10th on in the first row.

"Now I want you to do that with nine other cards." Takuma quickly instructed her on the positions for a Celtic Cross reading.

It was done.

Clearing her throat, Takuma peering at the cards.

"This first card is called, **Death**-"

Kagome sweat dropped, _'Why is it always me?'_

"-It's your current influence. Death is indicative of change in your future. This change can be in almost any aspect of your life, but it will almost certainly be permanent, significant, and absolute. Death suggests a complete severance between the past and the future and it will probably be painful. Despite the sense of loss that may go with it, Death fills an important and natural role in life, and it will eventually lead to acceptance. It is a necessary part of moving forward, and you will find the changes easiest if you embrace them rather than fight with them. Expect the end of a job, marriage, or even a life but do not focus too greatly on the negative."

She frowned, "In that position it reveals that transformations great and terrible are near. Ideas and relationships you have long depended on will be challenged.

"Next is Obstacles… you have the card **Strength**. Strength is the rawest form of power and you possess it in many forms. As might be suspected its influence over you and the use you put it to can be good or evil. You likely face your problems courageously, head-on, and conquer them through perseverance and will power. But with that ability comes the responsibility to control yourself, and this card may be a warning to take command of your actions or emotions before they damage you and the people you are about.

"In the position it's in the card reveals an offer which will change the future… it should not be refused."

Kagome huffed,_ 'Strength? Now I KNOW these cards are phony.'_

"Past Foundations. Your card is **Eight of Swords**. Some things in life are beyond your control and this card suggests that you are being actively held back by some of them. This can be something very personal such as a boss or as sweeping as international politics. In any case you are likely finding your options restricted at every turn and you may be experiencing rising frustration and anxiety. Your best course of action lies with the only thing you can control; Yourself. Approach this situation with patience and be ready to move when the situation changes. In the position it reveals you have an aversion to confrontation, which has arisen from your desire to avoid causing pain to others."

_'I do nothing but cause pain to others…'_

"In Past Events, **The Hanged Man **is your card. It can be interpreted in two very different ways. All change is a small kind of death, as the old must die to create the new, and it may simply indicate upheaval or change in your future, perhaps beyond your control, but more likely a decision that, for good or ill, you will not be able to turn back from. The other interpretation is one of sacrifice, although whether this sacrifice is small or great may not be easily interpreted. Both interpretations imply permanence, and that you should give very careful thought to the decisions in your life. In the position it's in the card reveals that a relationship you sacrificed must, in time, be seen in a new way.

"Goals and Destiny, **The Chariot**. You have some hard work ahead of you. It may be resolved quickly, but the Chariot is a powerful card, and the labor you are undertaking will probably trend towards long and difficult. You will quite possibly experience rough roads, long uphill slopes, dead ends, and painful setbacks. A good outcome is only assured if the card is upright, but do not let yourself lose hope: This hard road will instill in you a strength of purpose, the ability to overcome through organization and endurance, and the confidence possessed only by those who have done what they thought they could not. Harnessed correctly, few forces can stand against an individual like that. In its current position it reveals that you possess a potential for a great success or major triumph in your field of work or study.

"Future, **The Knight of Wands**. It's a maverick's card, and it may be associated with you if you are given to spontaneity, shifting your positions quickly. This may lead some to see you as capricious, but most will enjoy your energy. This card can also signify change for you, likely in the form of travel, or a change in your environment. Be aware, it may well come on you suddenly! In this position it reveals that a sudden decision –not necessarily one you control- will bring with it new challenges."

"The Querant (You), you have the **Seven of Swords**. Another card which indicates forces opposing you, the Seven of Swords points to there being a single source of your frustration. This is both positive, in that you may be able to identify that source and change your circumstances, and negative, in that this source may well be aware of you and deliberately sabotaging you. The road to your success does not lie in direct confrontation, however, but instead in guile. Instead of attacking the obstacles raised against you, find ways around them. In this position the card reveals… that you should take time to have an escape plan."

_'Should I be writing this down?'_ Kagome wondered, Akina would have hit her knuckles if all this information flew over her head. She instinctively rubbed her left hand wincing.

"Friends and Family, **Eight of Cups**. It suggests that there is stability and security in your life, but at a personal cost. You are probably unfulfilled by your current life. Depending on the rest of your spread, it may be a strong push for you to move on, and find the courage to strike out in a new direction. You will have to look closely at your work, your relationship, and your own beliefs to identify the source of your ennui, and then decide if you are willing to set aside some of your life's stability in order to find happiness. In the position it's in it reveals that a new love interest will enter your life.

"Hopes, Fears, and Ideals points to the **Four of Swords **card. Representing order and stability, combined with the tumultuous nature of the Swords, the Four of Swords offers your respite from the battles in your life. The peace may be temporary, but appreciate it while it lasts. It may point towards recovery from prolonged illness. In this position the card reveals your fortunes are changing for the better, but you must wait with patience until the shift is complete.

"Finally, we have the Final Outcome, you've picked the **Ace of Pentacles**. Aces always represent a new beginning in some form, and the Ace of Pentacles suggests a strongly positive one for you. Your life is about to enter a very productive period - or at least a period which will see your work rewarded in good measure to the level of work you are willing to perform. This period will also see most of your relationship on stable ground, and, despite the hard work you may be doing, you will be very content with your situation. In the position it's in the card reveals that Spiritual blessings and material success both await you."

Kagome blinked, "How did we get from Death to Blessings?"

Takuma huffed crossing her arms over her chest, the mysterious atmosphere now ruined. "I'm supposed to tell you not to take the cards too seriously… but I believe in them whole heartedly so I can't honestly say that."

Kagome's lips twitched into a small smile, _'It's good that she likes what she's doing.'_ "They seemed pretty cool to me, though I didn't appreciate all that death and misfortune stuff." She added quickly, as if it would keep said 'misfortune' from happening.

Takuma snickered, "Then you should pray it doesn't happen."

"I will."

"Good." Takuma replied, sounding highly satisfied with herself.

"How are you with predicting certain events?" Kagome asked suddenly.

"I'm…Bad." Takuma blushed. "Why?"

"I'm searching for some people… but I don't know where to look… or where to find them."

Takuma's eyes brightened, "OH! What do they look like?"

"Why?"

She was tossed a teasing glare, "Because I want to help you find them."

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed, "…A 16 year old girl. Dark reddish-brown hair, turquoise eyes. She prefers to wear a black Chinese dress."

At some point during the description Takuma had closed her eyes and her eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Blue designs of the dress?"

Stunned, Kagome nodded.

"Then I found your ghost. I supposed the three spirits with her are also friends of yours."

"Yes."

Takuma smiled, but a hint of coldness could now be seen in her gaze. Kagome being a Shaman changed her quickly made opinions about the girl. "I'm glad to help a fellow Shaman out."

"Where are they?" Kagome asked, not even bothering to ask about how Takuma knew she was a shaman… or about her being a shaman herself.

Those things could be dealt with AFTER her spirits were safely in the charms on her bracelet.

"Some graveyard not far from here." Takuma shrugged, "Want me to take you?"

"Please."

"Alrighty then." Takuma grabbed hold of her gloved hand, "So you have four guardian ghosts?"

"Yes."

"And I'm sure you know that the number of spirits you possess makes little difference if you can't control them."

Kagome's eye twitched and she sent a small glare Takuma's way for insinuating that she 'possessed' them. "I don't need to control them and they aren't mine to possess. We're friends."

The other girl fought off an amused smile. "Friends? Don't make me laugh! Spirits and humans can't be- you know what? We can discuss the specifics of it later. Bottom line, if you can't control your spirit's power then you can't use it. So you DO control them."

With a peeved expression, Kagome turned her head slightly as not to look at Takuma anymore. "My spirits ARE my friends and they do as they please. Using my body or not."

"Fascinating." Takuma murmured as she dragged the little miko down an alley. "But I suppose that way of thinking is what got them lost."

"Not lost, just… temporarily unavailable.

Takuma snorted, "Riiiiiiight."

Kagome reigned in her growing temper, afraid the other woman wouldn't bring her to her lost guardian ghosts if she lashed out. _'Why is she being so…'_

"Here we go." Takuma murmured, "They're in here."

Kagome blinked and eyed the entrance of the graveyard curiously. It was stationed on the downward side of a tall hill, a lake stationed on the other side. _'I would have went right past it on my own.' _In the long run she was thankful she'd accepted Takuma's invitation for a reading.

She took a few steps inside the graveyard and that's when she saw them.

…Sitting down on a couple of graves were her little babies.

Her heart practically exploded with her joy. _'asdfghjkl;… that only works on a keyboard, it's just confusing when I think it! Who even came up with that…'_

"YO CHIYO, EMI, RAIDEN, YUKI!" Kagome called, laughing when Emi immediately jumped up and stared at her.

"… KAGOME-CHAAAAAAANNNNNN!" She screamed, running toward 'her' miko.

Before Kagome had time to properly prepare herself, her legs were glomped by a now crying Emi.

"Kagome!"

"Kagome!"

"…Hey Kagome."

She smirked when Raiden did a 'whatever' style wave. "Where have the lot of you been?"

"…Well we were traveling. We went to France, Spain, North America and a few other places… but when we came back we couldn't tell one ancient well from another!" Chiyo apologized as she rose to meet her friend.

"You said.. "If young grasshopper gets lost, young grasshopper must stop and wait for someone to find him.'" Emi whispered a bit shyly.

"Well you did do an excellent job of waiting." Kagome said with a smile and she rolled her eyes, "But if I didn't know better I'd say we were playing hide and seek!"

"Told you we should have found some place more conspicuous!" Yuki muttered, shooting a soft glare at Emi, who laughed nervously.

Chiyo coughed, tense with anxiety. "In our defense, it's only been 498 years… not 500."

Kagome glanced back, thankful that Takuma had stayed at the gate while she reunited with her friends instead of tagging along.

"What's up with that… shortness?" Yuki suddenly asked, looking her up and down.

Raiden turned from his position of pretending he didn't care and watching the lake, to peer at her as well. "…She doesn't look any older than you, Yuki!"

Kagome blushed, "H-Hey! I'm still the same age in spirit!"

"Obviously not in body." Yuki pointed out and Kagome resisted the urge to hit him in the head.

"S-SHUT UP! It's not my fault I'm thirteen again!"

Emi smiled slyly, "She's the same height as Raiz-kun now!"

Suddenly a horrified expression appeared on Yuki's face. "…We messed with time. Ohhhhhh No! It's never good to mess with time! SOMEONE ALWAYS ENDS UP DEAD!"

Kagome sweat dropped as he started going around yelling about the horrors of messing with time.

"Don't mind him… he's gotten into terror films these last 20 years…" Emi whispered, cupping her hands to Kagome's ear as if it was some big secret.

"Right."

Chiyo –obviously not amused by the sproutings of her brother- cleared her throat. "We didn't mess with time… but _someone_ did."

"This is so **AWESOME**!" Emi cheered, "I love how Kagome-chan is the same age as us now!"

"Speak for yourself." Yuki muttered going back to normal so fast Kagome briefly entertained the idea of him being bipolar. _'Then again… I wouldn't be surprised if I am…' _And there was really nothing wrong with i-

"BUT NOW SHE AND RAIZ-KUN CAN BE TOGETHER!"

Raiden scoffed, but a faint blush had appeared on his cheeks. "Who says I'd want to date her?!"

But Emi was too far gone with her evidently very _entertaining _daydream. She let out a breathy sigh and hearts flooded from her eyes.

A tick mark appeared on the side of Chiyo's head. "May I just say you all have the attention spans of crazed zombies!"

Clearing his throat and trying to look important, Yuki gave her a disarmingly courteous look. "You may."

Kagome snickered when Chiyo's eye twitched and she started strangling the air once again muttering about 'dealing with trolls'- a habit she seemed very fond of.

"I don't think we need to be worried about the time thing, Chiyo." Kagome finally said when she noticed that her friend wasn't going to be doing anything but killing the air for a while. "It's probably just the evil bauble messing around again." She added quietly, referring to the Shikon No Tama.

She was worried about Takuma's hearing.

Turning to look back at the other shaman, she observed that dividationist was walking away. "Oi Takuma!"

Said woman spun around in surprise. "Eh?"

"Thanks a bunch!" Kagome called, smiling and waving.

Takuma seemed at a loss for a moment before she smiled brightly. "Of course! You're welcome at my shop anytime! In fact I'll be expecting you before the week is out!"

Kagome laughed and wrapped her arms around Chiyo and Yuki. "Absolutely!"

* * *

"Are they asleep?" Chiyo asked quietly.

Kagome nodded and smiled slightly. "They're in their charms." She pointed to the five charms on her anti-mindreading braclet. "Aren't you going to turn in soon?"

Chiyo shook her head softly, "Nah, I'd much rather stay up and watch the stars with you tonight Kagome." Her eyes shadowed with sadness. "We all missed you. That's why the others put off sleeping for so long."

"It's essensial to sleep for every spirit or they consume too much energy…" Kagome stated worriedly, "You don't think they'll do it again do you?"

Chiyo chuckled, "If they get a couple hours now they'll be fine for a week. You know that."

Kagome blushed, "It's the week I'm worried about. In the past, weeks used to fly by before those forgetful birds would finally realize they needed to get into their charms."

"I could barely convince them to turn in by the tombstones while we were wandering." Chiyo giggled and Kagome's heart warmed, her friend rarely giggled. She usually snickered or outright laughed.

…It was refreshing to see she was letting loose for a change.

"How did you get to all those places?"

Chiyo shrugged, "We just used what you told us to figure out what direction we needed to go. Not much else to it."

"So what now?" Kagome questioned.

"I guess we just… win the Shaman Fights."

Kagome hummed, closing her eyes and leaning her head on Chiyo's shoulder. "I guess."

* * *

Bright blue light engulfed Kagome's training clearing and she blinked, "Eh?"

She looked up just in time to see a star zooming past.

"…The Destiny Star?"

"It's so pretty Kagome-chan." A sleepy voice murmured and Kagome turned to see Emi gazing at the star with half lidded eyes.

Kagome smiled at her, "Hai. It is pretty isn't it."

"Does this mean I get to fight soon?"

"Hai."

Emi smiled lazily, yawning. "S-Snice."

"Huh?"

"Emi said… that's nice." Yuki mumbled and put an arm around the young shaman's shoulder. "I agree, but by some reasoning I don't think I'll be needed much this fight."

Kagome grinned, "You're very important Yuki! I don't think I'll be able to do many fights withOUT your help."

"Riiiiiiigggghhhhhttttt."

"Pffft! As if! It's me that you need!" Raiden scoffed, removing Yuki's arm from Kagome's person. "I'm your main ghost."

"Actually Chiyo-chan is her main ghost." Emi replied bluntly, causing both Yuki and Kagome to sweat drop.

"S-Shut it!" Raiden muttered.

"Make me!"

"I will!"

"You CAN'T!"

"Can too!"

"CAN NOT!"

"CAN TOO!"

"CAN NOT!"

"CAN-"

"Shut it trolls." Chiyo muttered haughtily, grumpy to have been taken away from her inner thoughts by the two… annoyances. "I'm trying to look at the stars."

Raiden sneered at her, "It's not that hard. Just look up and OHHH what is that big blue thing? It's called a STARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR Chiyo. Really, you make stargazing seem way harder than it has to be."

**SMACK!**

"OW! Chiyo! What was that for?!"

"It's for being an _ogre_."

Raiden pouted, still rubbing his head. "…Shrek would resent that statement."

Kagome looked at him curiously. _'Shrek?' _She remembered having to watch that movie in English when she'd taken it in 10th. _'How does he factor into any…oh. Shrek is an ogre… I can be such a ditz-'_

"Who's Shrek?" Yuki asked, frowning.

"The Jolly Green Giant." Raiden snapped back. "Who do you think? He's an ogre numb nards!"

Yuki sulked, turning away from them. "Don't have to be so mean Raiz."

Immediately, the other boy deflated. "Ahhh Sorry Yuki…"

"S'Okay."

"You don't look like it's okay."

Sending Raiden a death glare, he curled his lip. "It's. O.K."

"Alright, jeez. You make it seem like I'm a bad guy or something!"

Slapping her forehead, Kagome decided to stop the brewing situation before it became an all out war.

… That wouldn't be pretty.

_'Raiden sure has a talent for making people angry...'_

"What are you guys doing up in the first place?!"

"We wanted to watch the stars with you Kagome-chan." Emi replied brightly, unaffected by the deadly aura that was still causing electricity between Raiden and Yuki.

"I hope you realize that I'm going to have to tell you to go back to bed."

"Of course Kagome-chan!" Emi giggled, "I'm alright with that if you just let us lay here a little longer."

Kagome sighed, wrapping the little girl into a hug. _'How could I ever say no to her?'_

* * *

Humming, Kagome once again went through her daily exercises.

"YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! KAGOME-CHANNNNNNNN!"

Kagome sighed, stopping mid attack. "Yes, Emi?"

The ghosts were sitting not far from her, watching her train. -Though Emi was the only one actually paying attention.

Emi smiled slightly, "Kagome-chan is really good! …But I think you should train with us so that we can get better together!"

Kagome's eyes softened, "Hai, that's a wonderful idea."

Emi giggled, "YAY~!

Kagome closed her eyes as Emi came closer to her. "EMI INTO THE SWORD! OVERSOUL: CRAZED SAMURAI!"

On cue, the other three spirits looked up and started complaining about it 'not being fair' that Emi got to practice and they didn't.

Kagome ignored them, focusing on swinging her sword. _'Of course I'll train with them later! I can't just do an oversoul with Emi and leave them hanging...'_

* * *

"Jii-chan didn't give us any clues either, who knows if this contest is even real or not?! Right Manta?"

"Um… Th-There's no use in asking me… but not even knowing who is organizing this is kinda weird."

"I still have to think about tonight's dinner."

Chiyo sweat dropped, watching the two teens conversing not far from them. Kagome and the others seemed oblivious to the weird people, but not her! _'I must remain completely observant… I'll take in all of my surroundings!'_

"Chiyo-cchhhhannnn!" Emi called, "Kagome-chan bought us ice cream!"

Chiyo's eyes lit up. The best thing about being with Kagome was that if she wanted to give them something, they could take it from her. _'Akina didn't have that ability… I wonder if it's just Kagome...'_

She grabbed the chocolate cone from her friend's hand, ignoring the way the vendor stared at the place where the cone had once been, rubbing his eyes.

"Thanks a bunch Kagome!" Raiden called, eating from a cone that was so piled up with cookie dough ice cream that his face couldn't be seen.

Kagome sweat dropped, _'I can't believe how much that thing cost.'_

Too busy with relaxing on a bench –the occupants of which had just left- none noticed the man behind them silently observing. _'Two interesting Shamans in a row. This one has four guardian ghosts.' _He frowned slightly, noticing they were only human spirits. _'Why has she not collected any animals? Usually Shugenja collect at least one animal spirit in their search.' _But as he continued to watch them interact he had to wonder…

… Was she really a Shugenja as he had first assumed?

_"Look again Ssssilva. Thosssssse are not normal human ssssssspiritssss. They're deity ssssspiritssssss."_

Silva's stiffened and his eyes widened. _'I've never seen one in person before.' _Deity spirits had been created over 2000 years ago when a demon had gone around cursing and saving babies.

The cursed babies would die and their soul would be turned to hatred in its rawest form. Often they would result in Oni.

However, the saved child would die an excruciatingly painful death only to be reborn with great powers. _'Back then, people thought they'd actually been blessed by gods, dying and coming back as they did, but in reality it was just a lonely demon, whom could never die, giving them a second chance.'_

How had she gotten her hands on FOUR of them? There was said to have been only five deity spirits to ever exist and over 1000 years ago, his own ancestor had witnessed the passing on of one.

He watched the laughing group, _'If those are truly deity spirits I may have just found our new Shaman King. …If she has the power necessary to use them properly.'_

People were giving the young shaman strange looks as they went by, but they probably assumed she had a blue tooth that they couldn't see or they wouldn't have walked away nearly as slowly.

"Hey you…" Silva called.

Kagome blinked, turning to look at him. She stared at him for a moment before looking both ways and then back at him. "…" She pointed at herself as if to say 'me?'.

He resisted the urge to snicker at her, and waved at her to come closer.

She frowned as she went with it, coming closer to him.

"…" He waved her in again.

Kagome came forward, not stopping in her walk until she was directly in front of him. "What is it, sir?" She asked politely. _'If you try anything, be warned, I don't even _need _to use pepper spray...' _

Silva grinned, "You seem to like jewelry." He pointed out, taking in the dark necklaces, bracelets, and many rings adorning her fingers just on top of her fingerless knuckle gloves. "Can I interest you in any Native American charms? Perhaps a…"

Kagome cut him off with a wave of her arm as her eyes zeroed in on the merchandise that she now noticed was beside him. "…" She jutting a finger out, "…I want that one, please sir!" She added almost in a begging tone.

Silva's eyes lit up, he hadn't got much business because… not many people appeared to desire his stuff. _'But it's beautiful!' _He reassured himself, _'And we need money for the Shaman Fights.'_

Indeed extra cash was preferable…

He took the beaded belt off his wall of items. "Good choice."

"That one too!"

"Wonderful."

"Oh oh! Get that one for me Kagome-chan!" Squealed the littlest of her ghosts and immediately Kagome asked for the feathered necklace her spirit desired.

"Hey that's not fair!" Raiden complained. "Oh dude that's awesome!"

The shark tooth bracelet was off the rack before she could even properly ask for it.

_'…What interesting people.'_

* * *

Kagome glanced around at her two bags filled with jewelry of various kinds. _'Thankfully that vendor had plastic bags.'_

They were big bags too... and being that they were plump full of EXPENSIVE jewelry.

A waterfall of tears flowed down Kagome's face. _'I've spent all my college savings!' _"M-Mama's gonna freak!"

Raiden shrugged, admiring his shark tooth bracelet. "Tell her you HAD to have it. I mean come on this stuff is the bomb!"

Chiyo nodded as well, "You'll be fine, we got several items that you could give to her as repentance." Of course she said this as she fingered a voodoo doll that looked disturbingly like Raiden.

_'I'll probably have to show her how to use that...' _Kagome thought in defeat. "But I don't WANT to give up any of my stuff!" She whined, putting protective arms around the bags, thus squishing them together.

Yuki stepped in front of her as they reached the shrine and crossed his arms. "Kagome. We need to limit ourselves..."

Kagome bared her teeth. _'Limit ourselves? That's baloney! Most of the stuff in this second bag is his!'_

"...Now if you'll kindly hand me my things..."

Kagome huffed, walking past him and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "...the hell I will..."

* * *

"The stars sure are pretty tonight, Kagome-chan." Emi mumbled, her eyes blinking rapidly.

"Hai."

"I wonder how one is supposed to get into the Shaman Fight." Yuki muttered, ignoring them as he tapped his chin, idly swinging a beaded necklace around his pinkie.

He'd fought hard for his goods.

"You probably have to sign a lot of documents!... And a job application!" Emi cried, and a pained look entered Kagome's eyes as she imagined a room full of paperwork waiting for her. _'Fighting I can take but… Oh Kami-sama how could Akina-sensei put me into this kind of situation!?'_

Soft chuckle interrupted her grieving. "There is none of that, we speak with our fights not our pens."

Kagome froze, unsure if she should turn around. _'I know that voice from…somewhere.'_

She spun around, "EH?! THE VENDOR?!"

"So I was correct in my thinking. You're a shaman." Chiyo said blandly.

Kagome face planted, "Why didn't you tell me?!" She whined.

"I assumed it was obvious to you."

Silva raised an eyebrow, "Hmmmm. I am here to test you, young shaman."

* * *

**_i luv niki4444_**

DONE! HAHA! My first chapter is compleeeeeteeeee!

First off, **Reviews**: Okay, I'm not going to turn into crazy review hungry girl. However, I am going to say that I would really love if you guys review.

Tell me if you like it, don't like it, not sure yet because it's a prologue with WAYYYY to many words, or even something as simple as pointing out a spelling error.

No matter what you tell me in the review (from "I LOVE IT!" to "I'm not a fan. :/) it makes me just burst with happiness! In fact, Reviews are third on my "Things That Mean the Most to Me" scale. (1. Family and Friends. 2. My Fanfics.) So, as a very tired girl whom has just spent a total of 20 hours writing this jumbo chapter, (The first of many to come, since chapters in this fic will not be under 12,000 words) I'm asking you to take a minute out to tell me what you thought.

(Okay I did go into crazy review hungry girl… drat. I'd hoped she was gone for the night. xD)

Anyway,

If you guys have read my profile (You probably haven't, I don't think a lot of people bother to. ;P ...Going on how I read stories at least.) you know that this story has been a... writers block/concentration shattering/all hope destroyer/death-to-muse... idea stuck in my head for a while.

When summer started I PROMISED myself no more stories (Dark Niki: No More stories...NNNNNNNO! BAD NIKI!) but then a friend of mine said "Oh Niki you should go watch Shaman King!" **I love and hate you anonymous.** -_- But... I love you more. Come give me a hug! *Glomps*

Anyway...

...This was directly after I'd published my latest update for Deadly Attraction and I was feeling pretty good. _I felt like a cloud had slept on my face!_ I was **that** happy! (And my face tickled...)

So I was like "Ok yeah, sounds cool! I've run out of anime to watch..." (Should have said NO! Should have gone home! Should have thought twice before I let it all GO!) And I watched the first episode.

My reaction?: Eh it's not bad.

*Scoffs* Not bad? More like MIND EXPLOSION AWESOME! *mind explodes*

But yeah, after that I was hooked and I was fangirling over Yoh and Hao (Of course there was no fantasizing about writing a Hao/Kagome/Yoh fanfic. Pfffft! Haha~! That would be _against _my no new stories_ rule_. *winks*)

And it all went downhill from there. D""": At the beginning of summer I had so many ideas... so many hopes and dreams for my fics... and they all got dissected by a Fanfic that wasn't even in existence yet... (but now it is! LOOK AT IT! *squeals*)

**And that's the story of my writers block. **

If you've made it all this way (Thank you to everyone still reading! 'huggles') you should know that I've made my Hao/Kagome/Yoh dream -I mean non dream! NON DREAM... because I "wasn't" thinking of writing one...- a reality.

:'D I'm so happy, I could die~!

...But I won't because then I wouldn't get to write another chapter!

**_Thank you guys so much for reading! Leave a review telling me if you like it or if you don't!_**

_**Love Always**_

_**~ Niki**_


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